Belarus Is Building Railway for Military Trains Near Ukrainian Border, RFE/RL Reports

Belarus is building a railway for military trains near the Ukrainian border, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports. The outlet says the line is part of broader work to expand military logistics and training facilities in areas close to Ukraine.

Near the village of Yakimivka, a rail spur capable of holding 60 freight cars and a ramp-equipped platform is under construction so that wheeled and tracked military equipment can be unloaded from trains. The listed customer is the Institute Voenproekt, a Belarusian military-design organization. The exact location of the new training range is still unknown.

Separately, a large military base has been under construction near Gomel since 2023. RFE/RL says it is likely intended for Belarus’s 37th Air Assault Brigade of Special Operations, which the authorities established to “protect against threats from Ukraine.”

Some structures at the Gomel base are already finished, and work is now continuing on the railway spur. The Yakimivka and Gomel projects point to a continued Belarusian buildup of military infrastructure along its southern frontier.